FIFA World Cup 2014 - GROUP D [Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy - 14/19/20/24 June] **spoilers**

I can't help but think I would have enjoyed this tournament more if England hadn't qualified. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed it of course, Costa Rica v Uruguay, Spain v Holland, I even enjoyed Iran v Nigeria, but the media circus surrounding the England campaign and the stupid inevitibility of it all just depresses me. It wouldn't be so bad if I though a group stage exit would be a catalyst for change but it won't, I'm starting to believe the conspiracy theories around sponsorship deals dictating selection.

I'm in a bit of a quandry now, I don't really want to watch England's final group game. The issues mentioned above are going to put a dampener on what should be the most exciting World Cup of my life so far (Brazil, home of football etc), however, I was impressed by Costa Rica in their first game and would like to see what they're capable of.
 
Robbo said:
Poor old Suarez, at least now he's finally got his revenge on the pesky FA for daring to ban him for racial abuse and biting someone. Witch hunt.
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I think his comments were aimed at Hodgson

http://www.smh.com.au/fifa-world-cu...e-to-roy-hodgsons-england-20140620-zsfnq.html

Mostly, though, the main talking point had been Hodgson's remarks about Suarez.

They are worth repeating: "You can be a great player in your league but to be recognised as one of the all-time greats you have got to do it at the World Cup.”

When Suarez finally calmed down, and had his apparent injury treated, he gave the England manager a short jab. Luckily, it wasn't a bite.

"I dreamt this," he said. "I'm enjoying this moment, because of all I suffered, the criticism I received. So, there you go."
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It's an Australian website so the article is pretty biased but you get the picture.

Edit:

Just said on Talksport that Suarez has confirmed that his comments were aimed at Hodgson
 
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BaZ87 said:
You seem surprised.
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Not at all, I just find it amusing.

I stopped following England or being concerned how they were doing years ago, it's always been United>England for me because the anti-Unitedness of the whole situation.

It was Phil Neville at one time, then Beckham more recently Rooney/Ronaldo, there is always a United player at fault for England under performing. I said it 18 months ago that Gerrard isn't good enough for international football anymore and we should have played the youngsters and bloodied them early for the Euro's in 2016. But will we see England fans round on Gerrard for yet another **** display at a Championship? Will we balls.

He should have been left back, left back in Bootle.
 
I'm looking forward to listening to the FA blaming the amount of foreigners in the Premier League being the issue, and not the terrible ineptitude of coaching at the very beginning, and the lack of good quality coaches.
 
CasKirensys said:
Rooney was crap, Gerrard was crap.. It really doesn't matter who they play for, they were still crap.
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Everyone was crap and that'll be the case as long as Roy is the manager of a non small team. He managed to change the tactics from England's best 45mins of football and never went back to it
 
Our issues are really not to do with the quality of our players. If you look at the top sides at the moment they are brilliant due to their formation and tactics along with their work rate. Look at the germans and you can't see anyone that is doing things that are spectacular but their tactics, pressing game and basic skills are great.

Yes, there are some teams that win through sheer skill and brilliance but they are few and far between. The biggest issue we have had in the past 2 games is our defence and tactics. We have had the majority of possession and done little with it as other teams out thought us and killed us with sucker punches.
 
Purdy said:
Speaking of club blindness you target Gerrard of all the players :D, he was far from the worst
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Read the post Dear Purdy.

There is a point about a United player being always to blame, yet Gerrard who has never performed for England gets away with mistakes year after year that properly cost England yet never gets mentioned.

I'm not talking about Gerrard in last nights game, I'm talking about Gerrard in his whole England career.

It's a Liverpool thing, you're too young to remember but some of us have seen it for years, Barnes and Beardsley used to tear up the league, pull on an England shirt and instantly turn to ****.

Yet the Liverpool fans keep telling us England would have doen a lot better if we had just played the Liverpool way with the Liverpool players, two of which were the worst players over the 2 games (Gerrard and Johnson)
 
I think we've spent far too much time on possession oriented play and trying to emulate what Spain do over recent years. But as we all know, trying to play a possession game will get you found out. Teams know how to exploit this. Last night, England at one point had between 62-69% possession, and we had very little come from it. We have totally the wrong philosophy for our type of players, which isn't the only problem, but is a big part of the problem.
 
It starts with our youth teams and the green fields to kick a ball aorund on, which are all but absent. Nowadays our football brilliance is to bask in the reflected glory of the premier league, no matter that it doesnt create great english footballers. I cant see it changing, and whilst it doesnt, watching england play is just going to be the penance we pay for an exciting Top Four/Relegation battle every season.
 
Purdy said:
Everyone was crap and that'll be the case as long as Roy is the manager of a non small team. He managed to change the tactics from England's best 45mins of football and never went back to it
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See, this is the thing I absolutely hate about England and it's support/media. Every single time it's the Managers fault. We've had plenty of managers, and it's always been their fault - Even though it's mostly been the same players.. Not say something?

And you would find some way to blame Roy if we won the damn thing, so I can't really take your opinion in anyway seriously when it comes to him.
 
mmj_uk said:
I don't think Roy is allowed to drop Rooney due to the FA/sponsorship etc. and we have players who will do a better job for the team out on the wing so the only justification for playing him was to play him where we played him.

People have been saying that he was our best player because he had chances but most of his chances were from set pieces, the shot he hit straight at the keeper he stole the ball off of Sturridge who was winding up for a shot and Rooney's goal (a tap in lets remember) was created primarily by a frustrated Sturridge out on the wing beating 2-3 Uruguayans..
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It was Johnson who set Rooney up, not Sturridge.

Quite easy to tell the difference between them, they don't look anything like.
 
G|mp said:
Read the post Dear Purdy.

There is a point about a United player being always to blame, yet Gerrard who has never performed for England gets away with mistakes year after year that properly cost England yet never gets mentioned.

I'm not talking about Gerrard in last nights game, I'm talking about Gerrard in his whole England career.

It's a Liverpool thing, you're too young to remember but some of us have seen it for years, Barnes and Beardsley used to tear up the league, pull on an England shirt and instantly turn to ****.

Yet the Liverpool fans keep telling us England would have doen a lot better if we had just played the Liverpool way with the Liverpool players, two of which were the worst players over the 2 games (Gerrard and Johnson)
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Complain about club blindness and then state it's always only a united player who gets the blame (which is ********). Also I've never heard the they should play like Liverpool until now (which they should have and didn't), when all the Liverpool fans were saying it about Barnes and Beardsley did they play like Liverpool?

The Gerrard or another player never gets the blame is said so much now surely they are when enough people are repeating it ? I can't think of any England player who's played a lengthy time and not been blamed heavily
 
atpbx said:
It was Johnson who set Rooney up, not Sturridge.

Quite easy to tell the difference between them, they don't look anything like.
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Sturridge worked his way past about four players, both pulling the fullback and multiple players out of the attack, got around them and played Johnson in behind whose first touch was actually dreadful... he massively over hit it and was exceptionally lucky, like within a couple of inches, from losing the ball. A better touch and there wouldn't have been any risk of losing the ball. He put in an incredibly simple ball across the box.

Sturridge's part was "best" and made the whole attack. johnson got very lucky but had made a run into the space that Sturridge made for him. If Uruguay's defence had been remotely awake Rooney almost certainly wouldn't have scored.

So yes the goal was created(he didn't say assisted) by Sturridge, his play, his dropping deeper, his getting the ball out of a VERY difficult situation, his dragging players out of position and his ball forward for Johnson.
 
atpbx said:
It was Johnson who set Rooney up, not Sturridge.

Quite easy to tell the difference between them, they don't look anything like.
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Johnson was **** in both games bar that one bit of good work and lets be honest, he didn't exactly create that goal with great skill. He overhit it past their last guy and only just got onto the end of it due to poor closing down from Uruguay. He had done exactly the same thing 4-5 times already and every time before that it had failed.

If you try something enough times you will get lucky. Johnson was awful in both games and was possibly the worst player in the England team performance wise.
 
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